One of the best parts of American High School Theatre Festival is watching “it” come together – the hours of rehearsals, memorizing lines, learning music, planning lighting, the list goes on. Schools spend months raising funds for their AHSTF trip, in between rehearsing, studying, other extracurricular, and spending time with family and friends. And then, the moment arrives – their first performance at Festival Fringe. That’s the moment “it” becomes real.

Today, many of our groups ventured to the Royal Mile to perform selections from their shows. Royal Mile performances are a great opportunity to spread the word about their shows, but it’s also an unforgettable chance to be able to perform among thousands of people. Despite some nerves, our groups took to the stages in the heart of Edinburgh and won over a number of fans.

One group performing Shrek The Musical turned out to be especially popular among the youngest members of the crowd and stuck around for photos after their performance. Another group performed selections from their show The Ticket which has them impersonating the likes of Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Sarah Palin. They wrapped their performance by singing the National Anthem!

The Royal Mile is also a great place for busking. Throughout the day, groups took to the cobblestone to pass out handbills, talk to people about their shows, and spontaneously burst into song, dance, or performance – anything to spread the word! Rumor has it that a few shows are nearly sold out!

Festival Fringe is officially in full swing and we’re enjoying hearing the students discuss the performances they have already attended as well as the shows they are planning to see in the coming days. There are also a number of budding friendships between groups from all over the country as they experience Edinburgh and Festival Fringe together.

We’re live blogging AHSTF 2016, as well as posting throughout the day on Facebook and our brand new Instagram. Check out our August 5th photo album for some of today’s action from the Royal Mile, and be sure to follow us for all the updates and visit AHSTF 2016 Lineup for a schedule of all of our shows.

And if you’re with us at Festival Fringe, don’t forget to tag us (@AHSTFTheatre) in your photos! Use hashtags #EdFringe, #AHSTF2016, and #StudentTheatreDoneRight so we can see your photos – we’ll share our favorites!